Elevator signaling apparatus.



No. 864,915. PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1907.

G. A. REINERS.

ELEVATOR SIGNALING APPARATUS. APPLIOATIOH nun APILQ, 1907.

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Washes I Jill/e1 2? c (Z0125: M/YPzM a'J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. REINERS, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ELEVATOR SUPPLY & REPAIR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELEVATOR SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1907.

Application filed April 9,1907. Serial No. 367,140.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. Rnmnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hoboken, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

My invention relates to an elevator signaling apparatus, and my object is to provide a construction by which an attendant, commonly called the starter, may control the movement of the elevator cars in order to cause them to make their trips with regularity.

In tall buildings provided with a large'number of elevators it is usual to have an attendant at the starting floor, usually the ground floor, to direct the starting of the cars and to, so far as possible, keep them running regularly, so as to give the greatest possible service. It often happens that a car will be despatched by the starter from the lower floor at the proper time, but, on account of an unusual number of stops, said car may be unusually delayed and a succeeding car may overtake it, in which case both cars might simultaneously arrive at the starting floor again, and it is desirable in such cases to be able to cause the first departing car to hasten down, if the starter finds, from looking at the indicators, which are usually provided at the starting floor, that one car is being so delayed. The Smalley & Reiners patent No 634,220 dated October 3, 1899, and the Pedersen patent No. 629,302 July 18, 1899, disclose constructions in which also-called transfer button in each car is provided by which the operator of a car may pass floors where intending passengers have pushed their buttons and still leave the circuits in condition to cause the next car to be signaled which ismoving in the same direction. It will be obvious, however, that such constructions are not under the control of the starter, and the elevator operator may not know that he is being delayed. The Oollett patent 700,619 May 20, 1902 discloses a construction by which the starter may signal to the operator to come down without a stop, but in the use of such device it has been found that the operators do not, in many cases, obey such signal. In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings there is provided a starters controller for each car operable from the starting floor by the starter so as to prevent the operator of the car from receiving signals to stop which would otherwise be transmitted to him, and which will, at the same time, leavethe circuits for the other cars in such condition that they may be signaled to stop. I

My invention will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 represents diagrammatically an embodiment of my invention applied to two cars and shafts for only the downward movement of the car; and Fig. 2 represents the parts of two commutators for one floor and the connections for both directions of movement.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 1, I have illustrated two cars, 1 and 2, which are supposed to be moving up and down in their respective shafts, and I have provided visual signaling means, preferably electrically operated-for. each shaft in order to signal the operator to stop at the different floors. Such signaling means may be embodied in different forms,

but I prefer to have a single signal carried by each car, and in the present embodiment I have provided electric lamps 3 and 4, one for each car. As a means for operating such signals to indicate to the operator at which of the intermediate fioors (4th, 5th and 6th in the drawings) to stop, I have provided a passengers controller for each of said floors which are operable from each of such floors and which are adapted to control the car signals. I have called this a passengers controller? because it is operated by a passenger who intends to signal a car to stop for him. Such a passengers controller is indicated, for example, by the switch arm 9 and its mercury pot 10. Such switch is operable from the floor to which it corresponds by, for example, a push button, such as 6 on the 5th floor, which, when closed, energizes the setting magnet 11, draws back the retaining detent 12 and allows the switch arm 9 to fall into the mercury pot. I'do not consider it necessary to describe this more in detail, as the same is well known in the art and is fully described and illustrated in the Smalley & Reiners patent before mentioned. I

prefer this construction of passenger controller,

vided means which prevents the signal from being given except when a car is approaching the floor on which one of the push buttons has been pushed, and I have illustrated parts of an embodiment of commutator for each floor, such commutator consisting, in the present embodiment, of fixed and moving contact plates or terminals, the moving portions of the commutator being moved correspondingly to the movement of the car as is common in the art. Fig. 1 shows thecontacts and brushes for three floors used in the downward movement of the cars, the up contacts and brushes being omitted. ,The portions of such two commutator-s are. indicated at the upper corners of Fig.

l, the one at the left upper corner comprising long contact plates 21 and 22, several short contact plates indicated by 23 to 33, which are all fixed, and the moving contact brushes 47 to 52. The commutator at the right comprises fixed contact plates 34 to 46, and vmoving brushes 53.to 58.

The elevators are in Fig. 1 considered to be moving downwardly and the moving brushes of the commutator traveling in the direction shown by the arrows, and only so much of such commutators and wiring has been shown as is used in the downward movement of the car, and I have/not thought it necessary in this figure to completely illustrate the wiring and construction of commutator for the opposite direction of movement of the car, as the same will be evident to one skilled in the art from the Smalley & Reiners patent, before mentioned, or their Patent 826,752.

It will be obvious that, if the push button (3 on the fifth floor has been pushed, it will energize magnet 11 and drop the switch arm 9 into the mercury pot l0, and as soon as moving brush 50 of the commutator has reached the point shown where it contacts with plate 24, a circuit will be closed through the lamp 3 in the car 1, and the parts are preferably so proportioned that the operator will receive the signal when the car is a floor and a half or two floors away from the floor at which he is to stop. I have also provided visual signals for .signaling the intending passengers on the floors that a car is approaching. and in the drawings. 59, 60 and 61 indicate so-called floor lamps located outside the shaft in which car No. 1 is moving, and other floor lamps G2. G3 and 64 located outside theshaft in which car No. 2 is moving, as is common in the art and more fully explained in said Smalley & Reiners patents. It will be obvious that after the push button 6 has been pushed the floor lamp 60 will be lighted up when the moving brushes 5] and 52 contact with the plates 24 and 27, respectively, and it is usual to so arrange the parts that the. floor lamp will be ligh ted up a short time in advance of the car lamp.

In order to restore the signal circuits to normal condition after the passenger has been taken aboard the car, I haveprovided' devices corresponding to each floor for restoring the signal circuits of both cars to normal condition, and I preferably accomplish this by providing the commutators with fixed plates 29 to 31 and 36 to 38, which obviously correspond with each of the three intermediate floors, When the moving brush 48 strikes contact 30, for example, it will cause the restoring magnet 66 corresponding to that floor to be energized, which will raise the pivoted lever 9 out of' the mercury pot and allow the weighted detent 12 to engage the same and hold it out of the pot. It will be obvious that such restoring magnets and set back contacts orrespond to each of the floors. I do not consider it necessary to explain this construction more in detail, as it is well known in the art and is more fully described in said Smalley & Reiners patent. It will be obvious that when any restoring magnet is energized, it will brwk the circuit at its mercury pot leading to both the floor lamps of that floor and the car lamps, and restore such circuits to normal condition.

68 and 69 are so-called transfer buttons in the cars by which the operator of the car may pass a floor without restoring the circuits of that fioor to normal condi- 1 tion, as is well known in the art and is more fully described in said Smalley 6; Reiners patent 634,220. The parts of the commutator at the left are represented as being in the position they would be when car 1 is at about the seventh floor, and the moving brushes of the commutator at the right are in the position they would be when the car 2 is, for example, at the tenth floor. If the car 2 had been delayed and it were desired to hurry it down so as to arrive at the starting floor before car No. 1, it would be desirable to enable the starter to prevent the operator of car 2 from receiving the signals for a certain distance of travel of the car, preferably until he 'reaches the starting floor again, and in order to do this I have provided what I have termed a starters controller for each car which is operable from the starting floor and either of which, when operated, makes the signaling means of only its shaft inoperative for a certain distance of travel, in this case until the car reaches the starting floor. In the present instance I have provided a normally-closed switch in the car light circuit of each car which is operable from the starting floor. Such switch is indicated for the car at the right by the mercury pots 70, 71, and U-shaped bridge 72, carried on the pivoted arm 73. This is controlled, in the present instance, by a normally-open push-button 74 on the starting floor, which, when closed, energizes a magnet 75 which will move the lever '73 from the position shown at the left of the drawing to that shown at the right of the drawing, thus raising the bridge 72 out of the mercury pots, breaking the circuit at that point and allowing the weighted detent 76 to hold it in its raised position. The restoring circuits may also be broken at the same time at the mercury pots 77 and 78, if desired.

I prefer to restore the switch arm 73 to normal closed condition by means of a device which will automatically act, or only be operable, when the car reaches or is at a certain point in the shaft, preferably about the starting floor, and I prefer to accomplish this by means of a part which is moved correspondingly with the car In the present embodiment I have provided two extra fixed contact plates 32 and 33 for the car at the left, and 39 and 40 foi the car at the right, and it will be obvious that, in the case of the car at the right, when the moving brushes 53, 54 reach the contacts 39 and 40, a circuit will be closed through the magnet 79, which will attract its armature 76 and allow the switch arm 73 to again close the circuits at the mercury pets 70, 71, 77, 78, thus restoring the circuits to normal condition.

The starter, having desired to hurry car 2 down,.has pushed his button 74 and causedthe switch arm 73 to break the circuits, and it will be obvious that thereafter neither the car lamp 4 nor the floor lamps 62 to 64 will be lighted, even though the'floor push buttons 5 to 7 were operated, and yet the circuits for the shaft and car at the left will remain in condition to operate the car lamp and floor lights for car 1. As the operator of car 2 will not receive any signal, he will therefore not know that any passenger is waiting for him, and will come on through without stopping, and when the plates 39 and 40 are bridged by the moving brushes 53 and 54, the starters controller will be restored to its normal closed condition.

It will be obvious that the car at the left is also provided with a similar starters controller, push-button, and means for restoring the same to normal conditionQand that the starter therefore has the signals of both cars under his control and can make the signal of either car inoperative to give its signal to the operator, while at the same time leaving the rest of the system in condition to carry out the normal operations of the apparatus.

While in Fig. 1 and the foregoing description I have not considered it necessary to explain even diagrammatically the construction of the commutator and the wiring for operating the signals in the opposite direction, I do not consider that this is necessary as I consider that a mechanic skilled in this art would, from the foregoing disclosure, clearly understand my invention and would be able to embody it in practical form, particularly if he were familiar with the disclosures of the Smalley & Reiners patent mentioned.

In Fig. 2 I have, to aid in the disclosure of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. l, illustrated two cars and the contact plates of two commutators for only a single intermediate floor (for example, the fifth floor of Fig. 1), and have, in order not to complicate the diagram, omitted therefrom the floor lights and contacts (which may be dispensed with if desired), the push-button mechanism operated by the intending passengers, and the mechanism for energizing the magnets to restore the starters controller to normal posi' tion. The contact plates 21, 22, 24 and 30 are the contacts for actuating the car light and restoring magnet for that floor when the car is moving down, thernoving brushes 47 to 50 bridging said contacts when the car is moving down, and the contacts to 93 are the similar contacts for that floor and car when the car is moving up, the moving brushes which contact therewith being indicated at 94 to 97. as explained in the Smalley & Reiners patent 826,752. For example, when the car is moving down, the brushes 47 to 50 bridge the contacts, and the brushes 94 to 97 have been moved to their inoperative position, that is, 94 and 95 both rest on the strip 91, and brushes 96 and 97 both rest on strip 93, thus making the latter set of brushes 94 to 97 inoperative when the car is moving down, and vice versa when the car is moving up. The sections of the commutator at the right for car 2 for that floor are similarly illustrated, together with their brushes, arid the brushes of both cars are indicated as in the position they would be when the car is, for example, at the tenth floor and moving downwardly. The commutators in both figures have been illustrated as they may be embodied in a commutator, such for example as illustrated in said Smalley & Reiners patent 826,752, July 24, 1906, but obviously other forms of commutator may be used.

115 and 116 are buzzers in the cars.

It will be observed that the starters controller when operated, as indicated at the right in Fig. 1, will pre vent the operation of the restoring means of the shaft at the right in the sense that it will prevent the restoring brush 54 from completing the circuitthrough the re storing magnet 66, and that it will also prevent the operation of the floor lights 62 to 64. The car at. the right may therefore come on down as an express and without lighting up the floor lights or restoring the circuits to normal condition, but will leave the circuits in condition so that the car at the leit will go through its normal operation.

While I have, in the foregoing, illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention. I am fully aware that it may be embodied in widely different forms, and I therefore do not limitmyself to the construction heretofore illustrated and particularly described.

What I claim is:

1. In an elevator signaling apparatus in combination, two elevator ca rs and shafts. ench shaft having visual signaling means for signaling to the operator of the car of that shaft. means for operating the same to indicate to said operator at which of several intermediate iloors to stop and comprising a j passenger-s controller operable from each of said floors and. when operated from any such floor. adapted to cause the operators of both cars to be signaled to stop at that iloor. devices corresponding to each of said floors for restoring said signaling means of both cars to normal condition. and a stnrter's controller for each car which is operable from the starting floor and either of which, when operated, makes the signaling means of only its shaft inoperative for a certain distance or travel.

2. In an elevator signaling apparatus in combimition. two elevator cars and shafts. each shaft having visual signaling means for signaling to the operator of the car of that shaft. means for operating the some to indicate to said operator at which of several intermediate floors to stop and comprising a passenger's controller" operable from each of said floors and. when operated from any such floor, adapted to cnuse the operators of both curs to bc signaled to stop at that floor. and also comprising it part for each car moved correspondingly to the movement of its car and adapted to prevent a signal for-any such floor being given except when at car is approaching that iloor. devices corresponding to each of said floors for restoring said signaling means of both cars to normal condition. and :1 stnrters controller for each car which is operable from the starting floor" and either of which. when operated, makes the signaling means of only its shaft inoperzr live for a certain distance of travel.

3. In an elevator signaling apparatus in combination. two elevator cars and shafts. an electricnlLv operated visual signal carried by each car, a passenger's controller" for each of several intermediate floors and each of which is. operable from one of said floors and adapted to control the signals of both cars, a part for each car moved correspondingly to the movement of its car and causing said controllers has been operated and that car is upproaching the floor from which said controller has been operated, devices for each car corresponding to each of said floors for restoring the signals of both cars to normal condition, and a starter-s controller for each car oper able from the starting floor and either of which. when operated, makes the signal of only its car inoperative.

4. In an elevator signaling apparatus in combination. two elevator cars and shafts. an electrically operated visual signal carried by each car. a passenger's controller" for each of several intermediate floors and each of which is operable from one of said floors and adapted to control the signals of both cars, a part for each car moved correspondingly to the movement of its car and causing the signal of that car to be operative only when one of said controllers has been operated. and that car is upproaehing the floor from which said controller has been operated. devices for each car corresponding to each of said floors for restoring the signals of both cars to normal condition, and a starter's controller" for each car operable from the starting floor and either of which, when operated, makes the signal of only its car inoperative, and means for automatically restoring said starters controller to normal condition when said cur reaches a predetermined point in the shaft.

5. in an elevator signaling apparatus in combination, two elevator cars and shafts. an electrically operated visual signal carried by each car. a passenger's controller" for eachof several intermediate tloors and each of which is operable from one of said floors and adapted to control the signals of both cars, a part for each car moved 1 correspondingly to the movement of its car and causing l the signal of that car to be operative only when one of said the signal of that'ear to be operative only when one oi" controllers has been operated and that car is approaching the floor from which said controller has been operated, devices for each car corresponding to each of said'fioors for restoring the signals of both cars to normal condition and automatically operated by the movement of said cars, and a starter's controller" for each car operable from the starting" floor and either of which, when operated, makes the signal of only its car inoperative.

G. In an elevator signaling apparatus in combination. two elevator cars and shafts, an electrically operated visual signal carried by each car, means controlling the circuits to said signals and comprising push button mechanism at'each of several intermediate floors and a part for each car moved correspondingly to the movement of its car and causing the signal circuit of that car to be closed only when one of said buttons has been operated and that car is approaching the floor at which said button has been operated, electrically operated restoring mechanism corresponding to each of said floors and adapted to restore the signal circuit of both cars to normal condition, and a starters controller for each car operable from the startingufloor and either of which. when operated, opens the signaland restoring circuits'of its car only.

v7,-ln an elevator signaling apparatus in combination, two elevator cars and shafts, an electrically operated visual signal carried by each car, means controlling the circuits to said signals and comprising push button mechanism at each of several intermediate floors and a part for each car moved correspondingly to the movement of its car and causing the signal circuit of that car to be closed only when one of said buttons has been operated and that car is approaching the fioor at which said button has been operated, electrically operated restoring mechanism corresponding to each of said floors and adapted to restore the signal circuit of both cars to normal condition, a startcrs controller" for each car operable from the starting floor and either of which, when operated, opens the signal and restoring circuits of its car only, and means operated by the movement of that car when at a predetermined point in its travel to automatically close the breaks made in said signaling and restoring circuits by said starters contl'ullor" 8. In an elevator signaling apparatus in combination, two elevator cars and shafts, electrically-operated visual signaling means carried by each car for signaling the operator. an electric signal lamp for each shaft at each of several floors for signaling intending passengers, means, including a "passenger's controller" operable from each floor and a part for each car moved correspondingly to the movement of its car. adapted to cause a floor lamp to be lighted only when its passenger's controller has been operated and its car is approaching the floor from which said controller has been operated, restoring means for each shaft for restoring the signal circuits of both cars to normal condition, and a starter's controller! for each car operable from the starting floor and either of which, when operated, prevents the operation of the restoring means of that shaft only.

i). In an elevator signaling apparatus in combination, two elevator cars and shafts, electrically-operated visual signaling means carried by each car for signaling the operator, an electric signal lamp for each shaft at each of several floors for signaling intending passengers, means, including a passenger's controller operable from'each floor and a part for each car moved correspondingly to the movement of its car, adapted to cause one of said floor lamps to be lighted only when its passengers controller" has been operated and its car is approaching the floor from which said controller has been operated, means for each shaft for restoring the floor lamp circuits of both cars to normal condition, and a starter'scontroller" for each car operable from the starting floor and either of which. when operated, prevents the operation of said floor lamp of only the corresponding car.

10. In an elevator signaling apparatus in combination, two elevator cars and shafts, electrically operated visual signaling means carried by each car for signaling the operator, an electrically-operated signal for each car at each of several floors for signaling intending passengers, means, including a passenger's controller" operable from each floor and a part for each car moved correspondingly to the movement of its car, adapted to cause a floor signal and a car signal to be operated only when a passenger-s controller has been operated and a car is approaching the floor from which said controller has been operated, a separate signal carried by each car for signaling the operator, and a starters controller" for each car and either of which, when operated, operates the said separate car signal and cuts out the floor and car signals of only the corresnonding car.

11. In an elevator signaling apparatus in combination, two elevator cars and shafts, an electrically operated visual signaling device carried by each car to signal the operator, a passenger's controller for each of several intermediate floors and each of which is operable from one of said floors and adapted to control the signaling device of both cars, a part of each car moved correspondingly to the movement of its car and causing the signaling device of that car to be operative only when one of said controllers has been operated and that car is approaching the floor from which said controller has been operated, means for restoring said signaling devices to normal condition. and a controller for each car stationarily located at a floor and either of which, when operated, cuts out the signaling device of its car only.

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 28th day of March, 1907.

CHARLES A. REINERS.

Witnesses EMERSON R. NEWELL, BEATRICE MIRRIS. 

